We Meet Again
by maycollins
Summary: Merlin has been waiting a thousand years for the return of the once and future king, but when Morgana shows up in 2013 America, Merlin comes to realize that it's not as simple as just waiting for destiny. Mergana. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**We Meet Again**

**I finished Merlin last week, and I'm still suffering a little bit of end-of-show depression, so I figured I'd get it out by writing a fanfiction.**

**Merlin has been waiting a thousand years for Arthur's return, but someone else from his past shows up instead, confusing everything he's ever believed or felt. Rated T because I'm not yet sure where it's going, so I figured I'd be safe. Mergana.**

**I do not own Merlin. If I did, Morgana and Merlin would be together and magic would be allowed in Camelot and Arthur would never die, and it would probably be a pretty boring show.**

Merlin glanced at the Coldbrooke Daily Newspaper. "Controversy over New Windmills" read one headline, while another claimed "School Art Show on Wednesday Sure to Be Amazing". It was the same as usual, same as every day. Nothing new ever happened in Coldbrooke, and Merlin liked that. After a thousand years of running, it was good to take some time to rest.

Ever since Arthur's death, Merlin had been running, using magic to remain in one place as long as possibly before his age required him to move on. In the year 2005, he'd come to Coldbrooke, a small coastal town in the United States. Initially, he had intended it as a short vacation, just a month or two to rest, but he'd quickly found himself falling in love with every aspect of the town. A few months had turned into a year which had become a few years before Merlin had time to think. And so, in that way, Merlin had now been in Coldbrooke for 6 years.

In these six years, nothing exciting had happened. It differed greatly from his time in Camelot, each adventure followed by another with enemies attacking from all angles and no time to think or rest. Coldbrooke was all rest. A day of work followed by a night of reading and cable filled Merlin's time. Currently, Merlin was working as a high school history teacher.

He liked this job. A hundred kids streamed through his door every year, seeking help with homework, friendships, families. His relationships with students were often greater than that of a student and teacher, rather more like a mentor. He found great pride in being able to help so many, never before had he been able to reach out to such great numbers at once.

This particular day was a Monday; so many students were unfocused and tired. When Merlin began to speak, many perked up.

"I understand it's first period on a Monday, so we're going to do something fun today. I'd like to simply tell you a story."

The class murmured their support for this plan and put their heads down on their desks.

"Once, in a kingdom an ocean away and a thousand years ago lived a prince."

"Was he handsome?" This question came from Grace, a sweet girl in the first row.

"I suppose you could say he was, but you could also say he was privileged, overconfident, a little rude, and really just a prat overall. Regardless, he was the prince. Now the king at the time was even worse than his son, ruthless and uncompromising. There were rules banning nearly everything, and the idea of equality was foreign. Many did not agree, including the prince's half sister. She rebelled, fighting to gain freedom and equality."

"Sounds hot," Andrew, a jock, commented from the back of the room.

"Oh, she was." Merlin continued. "Skin white as snow with hair the color of a ravens' feathers and eyes as green as the leaves in the spring. And she was kind, her heart full of love and compassion for the suffering of others. But her father's ruthless reign upset her, and she fought against him, their struggle ultimately ending in his death. But this did not satisfy her. She wanted more, she wanted the kingdom. So she fought against the prince, who fought back even harder. In the end, they both died, fighting for what they each believed to be right." Merlin stopped then, caught up in the memories, as a silence descended upon the class.

It was quickly broken by Joe, the outgoing student body president. "That's interesting and all, but what does it have to do with what we're studying?" Merlin took a pause before responding.

"What sort of teacher would I be if I just gave you all the answers? I'd like you all to write a paragraph answer to Joe's question to be turned in to me tomorrow in class" As he was finishing speaking, the bell rang and the students rushed from the room.

~oOo~

Merlin finished all his grading by 3:30, and departed from the school. The sun shone brightly, and the sky was a perfect shade of blue, which was good because Merlin had to walk. His walk was short, only a few blocks, but he took his time, leisurely enjoying the beautiful spring weather. At times like this, he could almost imagine he was still in Camelot, hunting with Arthur as they shot insults at each other. Then a car would fly by, and the moment would quickly be over.

He was just passing the common when an unfamiliar sensation stopped him. It was almost like… magic. Something involving magic was happening at the common. Could it be Arthur's return? At last? Without second thought, Merlin hurried to the common to find the source of his sensation. He knew upon arrival exactly what had caused it, and the face he saw stirred millions of conflicting emotions inside him. He wasn't sure whether to hug her or kill her, so instead he just said her name.

"Morgana!"

"Merlin?" The questioning tone in her voice was undoubtedly fake, as she had obviously been expecting his arrival.

"Morgana, what are you doing here?"

"What, are you the only one who can live for a thousand years?"

"But…You're not supposed to be alive….I….I killed you."

"I know, it was rather unpleasant, not something I'd like to repeat."

"I buried your body."

"Yes, I watched. You cried. It was quite sad; really not something I'd like to repeat."

"Then how are you here?" Merlin's tone was growing sharper, less patient.

"So eager to get to the explanation are you? Why can't we just catch up like old friends?"

"Morgana, I'm not your friend."

"You were once." The look that flashed in Morgana's eyes right then was almost like regret, but Merlin knew that could not be true. Morgana had nothing left in her but greed and hate.

"Just tell me how you're here Morgana; I'm too old for games"

"Well you've aged rather well."

"Morgana…" He warned.

"Well it's a long story…" She smiled in a way that reminded him of the Morgana he once knew before she had changed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Morgana's Story**

**I'd like to say I'm so grateful for all the follows and reviews. They make me happy, so keep them coming. Usually, I have more to say, but not today, so enjoy!**

Both sitting comfortably in Merlin's apartment, Morgana began.

"It started when you killed me. Like I said before, rather unpleasant." A playful smirk danced across Morgana's lips and Merlin couldn't help but return it. "You buried my body, but my soul was already in Avalon, watching as you mourned me. I didn't understand that at the time; why would you be crying over your enemy, the one who went out of her way to try and hurt everything you loved? I was still processing everything, thinking about everything I'd said to you and everything you'd ever said to be, looking for a sign. Had you foreseen this all along? Is that why you'd always kept your distance, mistrusting me from the start?

"Well, quickly I realized that there wasn't much to do in Avalon except watch the people I used to know go on living their lives, better off without me in them. I got bored, then I got sad, then I got frustrated. I watched you in particular Merlin, living through many centuries, always running, always frightened, always alone. At first it made me happy, you were getting what you deserved, but eventually, I came to forgive you. That much time to think can really change a person.

"Instead of questioning what you had thought about _me_, I begin to simply question how you thought. When I told you that you didn't understand because you didn't have magic, I thought about how much it must have hurt to stay silent. I thought about how frustrating it must have been to continuously use magic to save the lives of people who would hate you if they found out. I thought about how strong you must have been to resist turning bitter like I did. And at the end of all this thinking, I forgave you. I forgave you for lying to me; I forgave you for poisoning me; I forgave you for killing me.

"And I continued to watch you. And the more I watched, the more I wished I could be with you, living the life I'd taken from myself so early on. And the more I wished I could be alive again, the more I realized I could. I am a high priestess of the old religion. Simple death cannot kill me. So I came back.

"When I returned, it was 1943 at the height of World War II. I volunteered as a nurse, and helped soldiers who had been injured while fighting. It reminded me of when Gwen and I used to help Gaius during battles. When the war was over, I turned my focus elsewhere, becoming a waitress in the 50s, a teacher in the 60s and 70s, a bookshop owner in the 80s, and a lawyer from the 90s until last year. All that time, I was looking for you, hoping I'd run into you if I just ran for long enough."

Merlin interrupted. "So how did you end up _here_?"

"I was getting to that part Merlin. I see that age has not made you any more patient. You see, my job as a lawyer gave me power. Power that I used to hire a private investigator to find you. Because Merlin, while I was in Avalon, I heard things, had visitors, learned things I never deserved to know. Arthur will return, he spoke to me himself. But it's not as simple as a matter of destiny. Because what many have failed to realize is that destiny changes, Merlin. Every second, every choice, every action we make is changing destiny. Right now, as we speak, destiny is changing, the stars are being re-written. Arthur could return at any moment, be it the end of the world or a beautiful day like today because without destiny, the prophecies mean nothing." Morgana took a breath and smiled, relieved from finally telling the story she'd been waiting to voice for so long. Merlin waited a moment to let it all sink in before responding.

"So you're nice Morgana again?" He asked hopefully, the only part of her story that he was currently able to process.

"Perhaps, but it's not as simple as that. I no longer want to kill you or take over, but I'll never be the same person I once was. When one travels this far, it's impossible to try and go back."

"Okay," He nodded, still a little in shock.

"Merlin, do you understand what I'm saying? There is no 'destiny'. Everything that happened could have been changed, could have been stopped. Everything that will be is able to be changed."

"So what? It all happened Morgana. You went with Morgause and tried to destroy Camelot. You tried to kill Uther and Arthur and Gwen and Me-" Morgana interrupted him.

"I was fighting for what I knew to be right!"

"There are different means to the same end, Morgana!"

Her face fell. "I know that now."

Merlin didn't pause when he saw her face, just continued to yell. "So I ask again, so what? Why does it matter whether everything that happened was because of destiny or choice? That won't change the fact that it happened!"

Morgana was now quiet, watching him solemnly and responding in a whisper. "Because it doesn't have to happen again. We blindly followed the prophecies for so long, and they ruined everything. We don't have to follow them this time. We can go get Arthur. Right now. We can change destiny."

Merlin glanced at her, calming down himself. "What if you're wrong?"

The playful smirk he'd missed so much returned to her lips. "I'm never wrong, Merlin." He smiled back, accepting all Morgana had just told him. They were off to get Arthur.

**So when I began this chapter, I still had no idea what I really wanted to do with this story, but I've just figured it out, so now I'm excited. Over the next few weeks, my updates might come at random times because I have finals, but it'll even out pretty soon.**

**Remember to follow and review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for making you wait. School ended, and I got lazy, but here's the next chapter.**

Merlin pulled out his laptop as Morgana watched in confusion.  
"What are you doing, Merlin?" She asked contemptuously. "I thought that we were going to get Arthur. Remember, no destiny. We were going to have a grand reunion.  
He gave her a look that clearly said "are you kidding?" before responding. "I assume that we have to go to the lake to retrieve him..." Morgana nodded. "How did you intend on getting there? Saddling up the horses? Opening our wings and flying?"  
Morgana was flustered, unsure how to respond, and Merlin took a small amount of pride from knowing more than her.  
"I'm booking plane tickets," he explained, and she nodded, returning to watching in silence.  
A few minutes later, she spoke up again, desperate for attention as always. "You've changed Merlin."  
He didn't look up from the screen as he said "have I?"  
She nodded although he couldn't see her. "You're more serious, more apathetic, more sarcastic. You used to be so kind, saving people even at your own risk."  
This time, he looked into her eyes to answer. "Look where that got us Morgana. I've lived thousands of years; I've had time to think through all my decisions. Morgana, I've grown up." His tone was cold and indifferent, but his eyes were full of regret.  
Morgana smiled a sad smile. "We were great when we were young. You, me, Arthur, Gwen, we had the best of times."  
"Is that why you want to find Arthur?" Merlin asked. "You want to go back?" It was phrased as a question, but they both knew it to be a fact.  
Still, Morgana tried to deny it. "Of course not, don't be silly Merlin. We can't undo what's been done, just move forward with what we now know."  
Merlin looked at the computer, changing the subject. "We have tickets for first thing tomorrow, so we should probably leave for the airport tonight. We don't want to miss our flight."

~oOo~

In the car, Morgana seemed eager to carry on with conversation.  
"The world has changed a lot since our time, hasn't it Merlin?" He nodded in response, so she went on. "I mean, look at us right now, in a car, driving to an airport with cell phones and laptops." Again, a nod of acknowledgement was all she received from Merlin. "Remember traveling on horseback with swords and food. The world seemed so much quieter then." This time, Merlin didn't reply at all. "God, Merlin!" She exclaimed, exasperated. "I'm trying to make it normal! Please just say something!"  
Merlin turned to glare at her for a moment before returning his eyes to the road. "What do you want me to say, Morgana? I could say that I think you're self centered and desperate to be noticed by anyone at all. I could say everything you did back then and what you're doing now is with only yourself in mind. I could say that all you care about is yourself, but I think you'd just prefer to go on hearing the sound of your own voice". Morgana was entirely taken aback by Merlin's snapping, so she remained silent for a moment before responding.  
"You're wrong Merlin." Her eyes flared with the excitement of argument. "I cared about Arthur! I cared about Gwen! I cared about you!" She went silent, and it was at least 15 minutes before Merlin broke the silence.  
"It didn't seem like it from where I stood." He was no longer angry.  
"It hurt to much to care about people who would only hate me if they knew my true self. So I stopped." This time the silence lasted, but it was no longer tense or awkward, just comfortable.

**Yay! I'm getting excited for this story. The next chapter is already writing itself in my mind. Remember to review and follow!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry about the wait. I was volunteering and then other stuff got in the way, but here it is.**

Both made it through the airport with little trouble as they carried no bags, except for Merlin's computer, and their pockets were empty save for the cell phones that they each carried.

When they arrived at 4:30 AM, the plane was still four hours away from boarding, so Merlin and Morgana settled down to wait. The airport was cold, both in temperature and feeling, with white tiled floors and pale gray walls. The chairs they sat in were made of a shiny silver metal that seemed to radiate the ice, and the area in which they were sitting was empty except for them.

After their clash of wills in the car, both were silent, watching the other for some sign that it was alright to resume conversation. Neither received that sign.

At 6:30 AM, Merlin stood. "I'm going to get something to eat. What would you like?" His tone was obedient and rehearsed, reminiscent of his time working for Arthur, and Morgana rose beside him.

"I'll come. You're not the servant anymore." She said it with a small smile dancing on her lips, attempting to end the awkwardness.

Merlin, not bothering to look up to see the smile, began walking to a fast food place as he nonchalantly replied "I'll always be the servant, Morgana."

She thought this remark through as she mindlessly followed him towards the food court. He was the servant, but whose? Arthur's? Hers?

The woman serving food greeted them with rehearsed warmth. "Hi, welcome to McDonald's, what can I get for you today?"

Merlin, having ordered already, looked to Morgana who was still lost in thought, pondering the meaning of Merlin's words. "Morgana, what do you want?" He asked, swiftly but gently.

She looked up, snapped out of her daydreams. I'll have a number five without pickles, mustard, or ketchup and a small vanilla shake."

Both Merlin and the woman looked at her in surprise. "That's exactly what I ordered," Merlin said with a smile in his voice.

Morgana smiled back, saying nothing more than "Oh".

The McDonald's worker looked at them, also smiling. "You two are so cute together; you're like the perfect couple," she said, handing them their food.

Neither Merlin nor Morgana corrected her to say that they weren't a couple.

~oOo~

Two hours later, the plane was ready to board. Morgana and Merlin chatted amiably as they got on, their conversation never reaching beyond simple small talk, which Morgana happened to be very good at.

"So what have you been doing in the past thousand years?" Morgana asked casually as they took their seats.

"Nothing much," Merlin's youthful smile returned in full as he spoke with Morgana. "A lot of traveling and running around. I went back to Avalon every year on the anniversary of your and Arthur's deaths."

Morgana already knew this, but she nodded, deeply interested, as if the story meant so much more coming from Merlin's lips. "Why?" She asked.

"In a thousand years, it's easy to forget things: the sound of Gwen's laugh, the way Gawain's eyes lit up when he argued. I didn't want to forget you or Arthur ever."

The plane was quickly growing crowded, but Merlin and Morgana did not notice, immersed in a world made up of only the two of them and a few almost faded memories of a time when things were different.

Morgana nodded again. "I haven't been to Camelot since I've been back."

This time, it was Merlin's turn to be curious. "Why? I'd have thought you'd want to see your old home."

Morgana gave him a long, sad look. "Camelot-" Morgana was cut off mid-sentence as the plane took off. She clung on to her seat for dear life as her face grew pale in terror.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle to see the great Morgana Pendragon paralyzed with fear at something as commonplace as an airplane. "Morgana?" He asked with both amusement and genuine concern, "Are you alright?"

Her face didn't relax at all as she responded "don't mock me Merlin. I've never been on a plane before".

Merlin attempted (and failed) to stop his goofy smile. "It's just that you've flown on dragons Morgana. What's so different about a plane?"

"Dragons are natural. This is not." She shot him a look, dripping with ice.

"Okay, I can accept that." He said, reaching over to clutch her small hand within his larger one. She clung on to it as if letting go would mean sudden death.

**Well that was fluffy... I'll make it up to you in the next few chapters. I'm going through a little internal debate about the next chapter, but I'll decide shortly. As always, make sure to review and follow.**


	5. Chapter 5

** Well, I'm the worst person ever... I'm not going to make excuses except to say that I had sooooo much summer homework that I procrastinated until August and had to work really hard to finish. That plus some family stuff made it impossible to write for a while, but hopefully I'll have some time now that school has started.**

Her grip loosened as the plane steadied itself after takeoff, but she didn't pull away, and he didn't seem to mind. Figuring it would be slightly awkward to go on without talking, Morgana tried to draw Merlin into conversation.

"So Merlin, you never told me what happened in Camelot after the battle." She turned to face him, and he stared intently back.

"Weren't you watching?" He asked. "From Avalon or wherever." The catch in his voice when he talked about Avalon told Morgana all that she needed to know about what had happened since she died and how much time had changed him. He had magic, yet he was unable to believe in a life after death. Or maybe he was just unable to believe it was waiting for him.

"Of course I was watching." She smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. "I just wanted to hear the story from your point of view."

Merlin accepted this, nodding and began.

"After the battle, after Arthur died, after I killed you, I came back to Camelot. Times were changing. With Gwen as queen, the kingdom was fair and free. The ban on magic was lifted, but not all was well.

"The whole kingdom was in mourning, and none more than Gwen. She kept a steady head when the kingdom was at stake, but at night she just wandered the castle alone, silent tears running down her face. She was a phantom, a ghost of who she once was.

"The Gwen we once loved was gone, replaced by a person who had lost her true love and was no longer sure how to feel. She was numb because the alternative would have been too much for even her to bear. I tried my best to help, but nothing changed.

"It wasn't until three months later when she found out that she was pregnant that she realized how much her attitude needed to change both for herself and the heir that was soon to be born.

"She started sleeping at night and going out again in the day. She started smiling again, and by the time the baby was born, Gwen was back."

"Her life went on, the baby named Henry grew up and became king, and eventually they both died. I didn't.

"Gaius continued with healing as usual. When magic returned to Camelot, he also took up teaching young witches and warlocks in his spare time.

"He had this one student, Rachel, whom I became good friends with. We practiced magic together, out in the open, both becoming court sorcerers together as we fought off various enemies to keep Camelot safe. Rachel was really one of the best: kind and compassionate with a fiery temper that flared up when she witnessed injustice. Her hair was a shining blonde with eyes the color of the Ocean in August and a smile that lit up the whole room.

"She grew up and got married and had kids who also grew up and got married, and eventually, all of them died. I didn't.

"When Gaius got too old for healing, he took up teaching full time, and in the rare times when Camelot was not under attack, I helped him. I never wanted anyone to feel alone and unloved like I know you did once. I wanted them to know the side of magic that is a source for good, in the way that you were never able to. I wanted to fix the mistakes I'd made with you.

"Time passed. Gaius died. All his students died. I didn't.

"The knights of Camelot built up their ranks again. One particular new knight, Marcus became a good friend of mine. He was young when he began training and always an outsider. I guess I connected to that because I know what it feels like.

"He was only 19 when he went into his first battle, and although his body was never recovered, I am certain that he died. I didn't.

"Morgana, I have lived for thousands of years, and in that time, I have learned one thing above all: everybody dies and I don't. I have lived to see hundreds of people die: everybody I love has died."

Morgana finally spoke up. "I'm so sorry, I wish it hadn't been like that. All the time I was dead, I didn't realize that it might have been worse to be alive." Her eyes filled with tears of compassion to see that the person she loved had suffered so much.

"Yeah, just promise that you're not going to die again without me." Merlin tried to speak lightheartedly, but that was difficult after the speech he'd just given.

"I promise." She smiled at him, a real, full, open-mouthed smile.

**I really enjoyed writing that. I so hope that my inconsistency hasn't driven you all away, and I promise to try really hard to get chapters out more regularly. Remember to review and follow!**


	6. Chapter 6

** Hey, Look, another update. And so soon, I know. I'm procrastinating my homework...My other technique for procrastination Tumblr, so... yeah... I'm writing this. I apologize for any inaccuracies as I have never been on a plane or out of America...**

** Disclaimer I don't own the quote from Great Expectations that I used, but it fit so perfectly that I couldn't resist. I'll love you forever if you recognize it, though I did modify it slightly to fit the context.**

The plane landed easily in London, and Merlin and Morgana got off quickly with no bags to gather. They made their way through the city silently, seemingly invisible both to each other and the crowds that surrounded them. There was too much anticipation for them to talk, both caught up in their own thoughts and fantasies.

In just a little while, Arthur would be back. In just a little while, all of Merlin's dreams and fantasies would come true. His best friend would be back. For so long, he'd been entirely focused on helping Arthur, and when that was suddenly gone, he'd been lost. What was he to do without his destiny? What was he to do without his best friend?

In just a little while, Arthur would be back. In just a little while, Morgana would have her second chance. She could finally get to apologize to the brother that she'd always seen as an annoyance and an enemy. For the first time ever, she would finally have a real family.

Seeing as the sky was darkening above them, Merlin and Morgana made the logical decision to rent a hotel room for the night. As they walked in search of a place to stay, the sky grew darker and darker as the brilliant orange sunset faded into an inky darkness. By that point, they'd passed plenty of hotels, but none had met Morgana's high standards.

"Merlin, I used to stay in a palace," She informed him. "A cheap motel simply will not suffice."

He laughed and they continued walking. The perfect spring air practically shimmered with life, and Merlin knew the stars would be shimmering brightly overhead if it weren't for all the buildings and lights.

"Well I didn't, and I think any of these places will be fine. We'll have as sound a sleep in any place as in the most superior accommodation London could give us, and the quality of our dreams will be about the same as in the best bedroom"

Morgana just shook her head. "We'll find something better soon. Let's keep going."

Merlin, following her request, continued walking. "Okay, but can we at least stop for dinner first? I didn't eat on the plane, and now I'm starving."

Morgana nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty hungry too. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. I haven't been to London in years, and even then, I wasn't an expert in their cuisine." He trailed off.

"Let's just get something here then," Morgana said, indicating to a hotdog cart on the side of the road. Merlin agreed, and they went up to buy a hotdog for each of them.

"So you refuse to sleep anywhere but a five star hotel, yet you'll eat a hotdog off a sketchy cart on the side of the road?" Merlin asked, teasingly.

Morgana responded with a smirk. "It wasn't 'sketchy'. It was a perfectly nice hotdog cart."

"No, I'm pretty sure 'sketchy' is the perfect word to describe it." Morgana's smile was wide and genuine as Merlin playfully argued with her. It was perfect. It was just like old times, and any time soon, Arthur would be with them too. It would be a fresh start, a clean slate, a second chance, the one thing that both of them desperately needed.

"Do you think we can get Gwen back too?" Morgana wondered aloud, caught up in memories of the past. Merlin paused for a moment before responding.

"I don't know. Magic doesn't usually give that much up without asking for something in return, but I hope. That would be perfect. Which I guess means it won't happen." Merlin's smile didn't falter for a second as he said this, proof that he'd accepted that life didn't always turn out right.

"But it could. Right? We could have Gwen back? We could start over?"

Merlin shook his head wistfully. "Maybe," He sighed. "But I doubt it. We could never start over after all we've been through. It just wouldn't work."

Morgana nodded. "You're right. I don't even think I'd want to start over anyway. After all we've been through, I think we're better off now."

Merlin smiled again. "It's about time."

"Yeah," Morgana agreed. "It's about time."

They walked as they talked, and about fifteen minuted passed before Morgana found a hotel that she deemed suitable. They walked into the fancy lobby, and Morgana payed for the best room available. From there, they stepped into the elevator and pushed the button for their floor.

"Does an elevator really need to be this fancy?" Merlin asked to fill up time.

The response was Morgana's classic smirk. "Yes," was all she said.

"But, I mean we're on it for like, 30 seconds. Why does it need to be so decorated for a 30 second ride?"

Morgana didn't even bother responding, so they finished their ride in silence.

Once in their room, Merlin looked around in awe. "I have never stayed anywhere this nice. Ever. In all my thousands of years, never would I have spent this much money on a hotel room."

"It wasn't really all that expensive," Morgana defended herself.

"Says the girl who got everything she ever asked for growing up." He joked and she smiled.

Morgana suggested going to bed as it was getting late and they had a busy day ahead of them.

It was well past midnight when Morgana looked up from her bed to Merlin's. He seemed still, but she couldn't be sure.

"Merlin," She stage whispered to him. "Are you awake?"

"No" He stage whispered back.

She smiled. "I'm hungry" She whispered again.

"It's 1 o'clock in the morning," he responded. "Nothing's going to be open."

She turned on the light. "I think room service is 24 hours," She said, sitting up. With the light on, she could see the brilliant smile lighting up his face, and she couldn't help but smile wider.

"Okay," he said, picking up the phone. "What do you want?"

**So, that was that. I enjoyed it. Make sure to review and follow and I'm more likely to update quickly.**


	7. Chapter 7

** Yaaaayyyy, time for a new chapter. I'm writing tonight because I have no homework at all. You'd think that with me doubling up on math (Geometry and Precalculus) and teaching myself computer programming, I'd have no free time at all, but that is incorrect. In fact, I have way too much free time on my hands, more than is healthy. Soooo, what to do with this free time, but write!**

At 6 o'clock in the morning, they were still awake, having stayed up talking all night. After all the tense silences and conversations ending in fights, it was good to be friends again. Merlin looked at the clock in surprise. Where had all the time gone? In just a few hours, they would have to set out to find Arthur.

"It seems like we haven't had enough time yet." Morgana said, still whispering although the sun had begun to rise.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Merlin agreed.

"This may be selfish, but I don't want Arthur to come back and ruin this friendship that we're forming. At least not yet." By this time, Morgana had migrated to Merlin's bed, and they were both sitting cross legged across from each other, perhaps closer than they needed to be.

"It's not forming," Merlin said matter-of-factly, and Morgana looked shocked for a moment before he continued. "It's just coming back." She smiled, and he returned it until they were lost in silent staring contest of smiles. Her eyes were so green that it was easy to get lost in them. So, that's where all the time went...

When she blinked, he forced himself to look away. This was Morgana. He wasn't allowed to be staring into her eyes and thinking about how beautiful they were. He'd known her too long and they'd been through too much to try and complicate anything with inappropriate feelings now.

Morgana breathed a silent sigh of relief when Merlin looked away. She never would have had the strength to stop staring into his eyes, so filled with loss and suffering it was nearly overwhelming. Those eyes were a portal to the long and terrible past that Merlin had lived, and she found herself wanting to jump into them to change it, make it better. She hated herself for doing this to him. He said he blamed himself, but she knew it was her fault.

"Do you remember the first time you saw me?" Morgana asked seriously, imagining a life for Merlin that she'd never played a part in.\

"Of course," He remembered. "It was my first day in Camelot, and I entered to witness an execution. You were standing in the window, looking upset."

"I didn't see you there."

"I know, I was just a part of the crowd like always." Merlin gave a halfhearted smile.

"Not always," Morgana argued. "You were never just part of the crowd to me. Even the first time I saw you, across the ballroom, you were the only person I noticed."

Merlin was focusing all of his willpower on not leaning across the bed and kissing her. "I was just a servant."

Morgana chuckled. "Everyone knows you were more than that, _Emrys_."

"But that's not important," He argued. "I was a servant. Yeah, I was also a sorcerer, but that never made me any less of Arthur's servant. Maybe more so, actually."

"You were never just a servant to me, Merlin. You were the one person I trusted completely." She smiled, but his face fell.

"I'm so sorry I betrayed you." His eyes flooded with guilt.

"That's not how I meant it, Merlin. I meant that I loved you and trusted you and you were one of my best friends, and you still are." She inwardly laughed at the fact that their conversations always seemed to take a turn towards dark and serious lately.

"But I hurt you so many times."

"I've forgiven you, so now it's time you forgive yourself," She whispered, coming in close.

He didn't move away as he responded "Consider me forgiven." He smiled, and she responded with a smirk. It wasn't just any smirk, but the one that could bring entire armies of men to their knees. He fought even harder not to kiss her as he carefully studied the smirk. It was so near, only centimeters away. When had they moved so close together.

"I don't think it's that easy," She whispered, smile widening. At that, all his willpower dissolved as he closed the small gap between them.

Their magic collided in a fireworks-like display of light and dark, but neither bothered to look up, immersed in a world made only of the two of them. It was perfect, so many old memories and new attractions built up and crashing down for the first time in a thousand years.

Merlin hadn't been this free of guilt since Arthur had died, and he sunk further into that feeling, further into Morgana. It was so right, them together, and he found himself wondering why he'd never done anything about it before. Maybe if he had, things would have turned out better. But none of that mattered now because everything, every mistake, every death, every stupid self-fulfilling prophecy had led him to this moment with Morgana.

Morgana had initially been surprised by Merlin's kiss. When one hopes so hard for something, they never really expect it to happen. All this time, all these thousand years that Morgana had sat in Avalon, in love with the man who'd killed her, she never once imagined this was how it would turn out. She hadn't come back with any expectations; all she'd wanted was to give Merlin what he'd been wishing for all this time: the return of his best friend.

And now, here they were, falling in love in an expensive hotel room somewhere in London, any thought of Arthur far from their minds. They were so consumed with their long repressed feelings that neither of them noticed the explosions going on around them.

_He is the darkness to your light. You will walk in his shadow. He is your destiny and you doom._ All the prophecies so long ago written in the stars were rewriting themselves before the inattentive eyes of their subjects. The room was filled with bursts of light and shadow, and the air smelled vaguely of lake water. Stars twinkled brightly on the ceiling as if the two were outside, rearranging themselves to fit the new patterns and prophecies.

A great voice whispered from everywhere and nowhere. _"When two great powers collide, there is no way to predict the future. Good luck Morgana and Emrys."_

**That was fun to write, if incredibly difficult. Make sure to follow and favorite and review.**


	8. Chapter 8

** Welcome to the next chapter. Once again, I have way too much free time on my hands... So enjoy :)**

At 4:30 pm, Merlin and Morgana were out in London, searching for food, having not eaten since last night. Both had avoided looking into the other's eyes since the events of the morning, but they each wore a small smile. Seeing the hotdog cart from the previous evening, Morgana led them to it, thinking about how much things had changed since then.

Even the air was different, crackling with something she wasn't sure of. It wasn't magic, Morgana would have recognized that – it was more like energy, powerful energy. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked it.

Eating their hotdogs as they walked, Merlin and Morgana continued down the street. This was a new dynamic between them, and neither was sure how to treat it. Merlin looked shyly at Morgana and quickly looked away. In that moment, an empty water bottle rolled into his path, and with a grace only he was capable of, Merlin managed to trip over the water bottle, sending his hotdog flying across the sidewalk. Morgana burst out laughing and didn't stop for the next two blocks.

"It wasn't that funny," Merlin insisted, ears bright red with embarrassment.

Morgana continued to laugh. "But you're face," She gasped. "And the hotdog." Merlin dropped the subject. A few blocks later, Morgana composed herself.

"I know we didn't talk about this," Merlin began, finally breaking the silence between them. "But should we still go find Arthur tonight? What should we do? What do we tell him? He'll kill me, you know, just for looking at you." With each question he asked, another sprang to Merlin's mind.

"No need to worry," Morgana interrupted. "We can cross all those bridges when we get there."

"But I can't lose him," Merlin whispered. "And I can't lose you again."

Morgana kissed him. "You won't lose me. I promise." He smiled.

"About the finding him thing, though..." Merlin continued.

Morgana smiled flirtatiously. "Maybe that can wait until tomorrow..." Merlin nodded, shocked by her confidence.

"Yeah, yeah," He stammered. "Tomorrow's good. But, um, what do we do tonight?" He was both exited and scared for the answer.

"Tonight," Morgana replied. "I'm taking you on a date."

It seemed so normal, so ordinary that it was almost wrong. Almost, but not quite. Merlin had been on dates before. He'd been on many, many, many dates, each leaving him with the same impression that he would only end up hurt. This time, he felt that his luck was better. It was Morgana, after all. They'd already been through so much, there wasn't much else that could go wrong. He agreed.

"Sounds like a plan. Where do you suggest?" He asked.

"Dinner and a movie is a little high school, right? How about just dinner then." She offered.

"We just ate," Merlin pointed out.

"Way to be a spoil-sport. After dinner drinks then?" He nodded.

~oOo~

The curtains did little to filter the harsh glow of the early morning sun, and Merlin flinched away. As he woke up, the night came back in bursts, like a puzzle that his hungover mind was unable to put together. He turned and saw Morgana next to him. He smiled and fell back asleep.

~oOo~

It was almost noon when Morgana woke up to find herself lying next to Merlin with the biggest hangover she'd had since she came back to life. Stumbling to the sink, she filled up a cup of water, gulping it down to wet her dry mouth. The idea of food was entirely unappealing to her in this state, so she chose instead to get dressed and sit in the armchair at the side of the room. She would have picked up a book, but her headache was too bad to look at small fonts. TV was out of question due to the unbearable volume. Instead, she just sat and thought, glancing up occasionally to check if Merlin was awake.

He finally stirred at 1:30, blinking until the image of Morgana became clear to his sleep-fuzzy eyes. "Remind me," He muttered. "Whose idea was it to go drinking?"

Morgana smiled. "That would be mine."

"Remind me never to listen to you again."

"Will do. Other than the hangover, how do you think our first date went." She tried her best not to sound too expectant. She refused to be the girl who let some boy dictate how she felt about herself. Of course this was not some boy; this was Merlin.

"The parts I can remember were really good," He told her honestly with a big, sleepy smile.

"So, do you think we should do it again?" She asked, the same way as before.

"I think we should do it a million more times." His tone was soft with sleep, and she decided that she liked this early morning Merlin. And she liked the late night, drunk Merlin. And she liked the happy goofy Merlin. And she liked the sad, old Merlin. Morgana liked every side of Merlin she'd ever met, and she realized that she was finally understanding what it meant to be really and truly in love.

**Thanks for reading. As always, review and follow and you'll be my best friend. Until next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

** Update Time! I'm so sorry for the wait; I've been suffering the worse case of writers block of my life, but I think I've made up my mind. I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me and with this story. You're what keeps me writing through the blocks. Enjoy.**

Merlin and Morgana stayed in the hotel room all day, ordering room service and flipping through the channels. Neither was willing to admit it, but they were scared of breaking the bubble they'd been living in for the past few days. Just one wrong move and everything that had been happening could fall apart.

"A Doctor Who marathon is on, Merlin. We have to watch it!" Morgana's face lit up when she saw the TV guide.

"You watch Doctor Who?" Merlin asked, disbelievingly. He never would have thought that Morgana was the type to watch Doctor Who.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"She questioned.

"I just can't imagine you watching it." He smiled. Funny, a smile hadn't seemed to leave his face since he kissed Morgana. Was it really just yesterday? So much had changed since then. Even the sky was different, crackling with something ancient and unimaginable.

"Well, you just don't know me all that well, do you?" She asked, leaning into him with a smirk.

"I guess you'll have to teach me," He said, leaning down to kiss her. When their lips met, sparks literally flew, tingling through both of their bodies. He kissed her harder, never wanting to be separate from her again. Was it possible to fall in love this quickly?

She quickly reciprocated, running her fingers through his messy hair. "You really need to shower," she joked. "Your hair is gross."

He responded by pulling her back to him, sparks flying once again. Her lips were soft and warm against his.

She ran her hand under his shirt, finally pulling it off and throwing it to the ground. Then she began to work at her own, slowly undoing each button.

"Can't you just take it off?" Merlin asked with a smile.

She smirked. "If you knew how much this shirt cost, you wouldn't have asked that," She said, finally reaching the last button.

He pushed her hands away, sliding the shirt of her back on his own. "You're sure you want this?" he asked. "You know this means there's no going back? And possibly it means that Arthur will kill me the second he returns."

"I know." She said, unbuttoning his pants.

~oOo~

The clock read 2:24 AM when Merlin woke up to the sound of Morgana's screams. "No! No! You can't die!" She screeched, deep in a dream.

"Morgana!" He yelled, finally pulling her from her sleep. Tears streamed down her face. "I didn't realize the nightmares were back," Merlin whispered comfortingly.

"They've never left," she cried, her voice raw. "But they haven't been this bad since I came back."

"What happened? We can deal with it together." He told her, reassuringly, holding her tightly.

"No," She whispered, voice growing stronger. "There is no destiny and there are no prophecies. My visions don't have to come true. I can't tell you." Her voice cracked again.

"Okay," He murmured. "Then let's just go back to sleep. I'm sure things will be better in the morning." The crackle of energy in the air hummed quietly, slowly lulling Merlin back into a peaceful sleep, but his mind was unable to rest fully. Despite what Morgana had been saying about destiny, he was unable to believe it completely. Visions and prophecies had never lied before. A pit formed deep in his stomach, and he knew that something was going to go very wrong before they could get Arthur back.

~oOo~

When Merlin groggily opened his eyes, light was streaming through the window, making patterns on the floor, and Morgana was sitting fully dressed at the foot of the bed.

"Good, you're awake," She said. "It's time to go find Arthur."

** I hope you were all pleased with that. For a while, I had myself convinced that I was being purposely ambiguous about what was happening between Merlin and Morgana, but then I just realized that I was scared of writing it wrong, so I got over my fears, and wrote this chapter. If you liked it, leave a review, and if you're new here, make sure to follow.**


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